Truck or trailer body



Feb. 5, 1935.

' I hzzmyllewi dm/rfimm-iur' w. J; LAFFEY ET AL w. J. 'LAFFEY ET AL TRUCK OR TRAILER BODY Filed July 21,

Fab. 5, 1935.

1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/J, 35/1 b 6. w 5 W 5 H M f v w 0./ I fly ,9 0 M M y\ 7 H 2 H J u J v %w w o r H U A, m K w v Patented Feb. 5, 1935 llNlTE D m rarer OFFICE TRUCK: on RAILER eons" William J,

Laffey, Memphis, and-John Frank Guy, Whitehaven, Tenn Applieaticn July 21,1933, savanna, 681,470

6 Claims (oi. 28-=4l or beds for ireight in warehouses and in similar use, ordinarily have a rectangular bed or ,platicrzn'sonie three feet wide and six feet long; the top. of the platform being usually some eighteen inches above the floor. They ordinarily have one pair of wheels carried by a transverse axle rigidly'seowed to therplatform and posit ned about onethird. the length of the bedyirom rear end, with a lighter pair of wheelcor casters pivotally movable carrying the front end, Heatyv freight placed upon these trucks if pcsitiuncd too close to therear endorb'roughttoo close in unloading, tends, to up-endthe'truck and such unleading, .is therefore usually done hyhandling the freight over one of the sides of the truck. ,Also, where trucks are used for unloading into freight cars, the, widthzof the car so limits the receiving space that even though the'end of thetruck be supported,=it is still often necessary to unload over thesides.

, Whether unloaded from side orend, the package of freight is usually tippedover and manually lowered to the warehouse or car floor. Where bulkyor otherwise inconvenientto handle, or where-it is heavy, the package instead of being eased to the flooris oftenfdropped, causing con? siderable damage,- thedamage usually not being reported, or, coming to light, until it is too late to'determine justwhere or how it didoccur. 'Manyof the trucks have ridges or rails along ,their sides which cause additional trouble in side unloading. -The objects of the pesent invention are to 'make a platform or floor portion for a device .of this character inwhich a portion of the platform may be displaced angularly downward to assistin the'discha'rge of freight from the device; To providefmeans,for'supporting the displace.- able portion; I y l To provide" means for releasing the brace or support, for such di'splaceable portion;

To provide means for checking the displace fment's'peed; and 5 Generallyi'znprove oi -such a device. 1 W

The means by which-the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner 'of the design and construction as on the line 11- ll of Fig, 'l;

enlarged scale,

18 are the form, as by h ages 19, is an extension platform "21, 22 'transver side rails 2d are similarly beveled, the inclination hinges "1-9 to provide a space 24 their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification, on reference to he accompanyingdrawings, in which:

' Fig. l is a side elevation truck having a portion of rear end hinged y attached, the 5 hinge portion being shown as raced and sup- Figu2 is a frag: entary transverse section taken detail on an sill-Ill oi latch and tripping Fig; 3 is a frag rigs, land 4, showzng a co mechanism; p

Fig, 4 is a fragmentary section on the same scale taken as on the; line of Fi 2, showing a side view of the same mechanisnig'f g,=-5 salongitudinal section along the center l 1e truck, being the V--V of Fig, 2, 1 .smfor regulating the speed e lowering inovement; V

6515B, fragmentary side elevation on an enlarged scale, shewing detail of'the bracing post and members;

Figs. and 8 are fragmentary views on an enlarged scale of a modified form of brace latch and the releas' .g mechanism therefor;

Fig. 7 being a side elevation of'the upper end of the brace and seat; and Fig, 8 a section taken on the line VlIL-Vlll of Fig, 7. 7

Referring now to the drawings, it are the side frames or rails of a truck platform, ll, 12 are the usual transverse end members, 13 and 14 intermediate transverse members, and 15 the floor. 16 are wheels journalled on a transverse to'and supporting the truck body. casters,- The above parts are in every way s nilar'to usual. practice except that the length of the body is shortened. 1

l-Iingedly connected to the rear end of this platpreferahlyof identical width, 20 are side rails; e end members, and 23 the floor.

The end member 22 is inclined and. the ends ofthe and beveling extending from the pivotpoint of'the which will permit the extension platform to swing downward. Secured toand extending downward from" the side rails-20, are po" 25, the lower ends of which are secured to and braced members 26 extending diagonally upward to the r de rails, Secured at the lower end of the post 25, is a 27, in which a brace arm 23 h ngedly secured as a pin 29. Preferably the lower end of this abuts the side-of the'post 25,-as shown in Fig.'6,-sothat the thrustiof the arm is taken directly by the post as well as by the pin 29. The upper end of the arm 28, as shown in detail in Fig. 4, is supported by a bolt 30 which is slidably mounted in a U shaped shoe 31, the bottom of the shoe being provided with a slot 32 to receive the shank of the bolt.

- Preferably the shoe 31 is made in two halves which are secured to opposite sides of the side rail 10, as by rivets orbolts 33.. The upper end of the arm 28 is adapted to abutagainst a latch 34 which is mounted on a rod 35 preferably square in cross section. The hubs 36, 01? the latch member 34,-are journalled in bearings 37 formed integral with the side plates of the shoe 31. The rod 35 extends beyond the outer'side of theshoe 31 and has secured on the outer end thereof a handle 38 by which it may be turned to disengage the latch 34 from the end of the brace 28. The construction i of the brace arm, latch and other parts above described is identical on both sides of the truck, the

rod 35 extending entirely across the truck whereby both ,latch members are actuatedat the same time. A second handle may be placed on the opposite side of the truck if it be so desired. Upward movement of the arm 38 in thedirection of the arrow A, Fig. 1, will disengage the latch 34 from the end of the brace arm.

In Figs. '7 and 8 a modification of the means for latching the open end of the arm 28 is shown.

In this form, a shoe 31A is provided with an abutment 40 which takes the end thrust of the upper end of the arm 28. 38A is the handle which is mounted on the outer end of the transverse shaft 35A. This shaft carries a cam 41 the hubs of which are suitably journalled in bearings 37A formed integral with the side plates of the shoe 31A. When the handle 38A is raised, thecam 41 depresses the end of the brace arm 28 from engagement with the abutment 40 and permits movement of thearm to allow the hinged end of .the truck platform to lower. 42'isa guide member, suitably secured to the arm 28, the arms of which member embrace the sides of the rail 10A .to guide the end of the arm 28 in its movement. 'Since thedepression of the arm end to clear the abutment 40 is not sufficient to permit the guide member 42 to pass the hub of the handle 38A a portion of the lower'part of, this hub is cut away as at 43. Preferably the arm 28 is resiliently held against the underside of the rail 10A as by a .spring44 (Fig. 6).

i In order that the hinged end of the truck may notdrop toosuddenly when the brace arms are released, a centrally disposed hydraulic thrust ,manner. use of the ,hinged'feature, of the platform, the

to a reservoir 56. The valve may be of definitely'restricted area against such flow or may be opened and closed manually. If the valve isto be .opened and closed by hand, a handle 57 (Fig. 1)

for actuating the valve,is preferably provided ex- ,terior to the side rail .10 of the truck. V

58 aresharpened points or calks which may be secured to the underside of the end rail 21, for the purpose of engaging the warehouse or car floor when the hinged end of the truck is lowered.

In use the truck is loaded and used inthe usual manner and may also be unloaded in the same Should it be desired however to make handle 38 or 38A as the case may be, is raised to disengage the latches 34 from the ends of the brace arms 28, or to disengage the ends of these arms from the abutments 40. When this is done the outer end of the hinged portion of the truck platform will descend as rapidly as flow from the cylinder 50 to the reservoir 56 will permit. If the load is carried largely upon the extension, or entirely thereon, it is usually advisable to manually resist the drop, as would be done were the load being taken off of the platform in usual manner. Should the load not be on the extension it may be shifted after lowering of the end and be allowed to slide downward to the floor.

The points or calks 58 engage the floor and tend to prevent displacement of the truck during such j ported platform, a relatively short xtensidnyof said platform, hingedl'y'secured theretofabraced structure extending downwardly" from' said' extension, brace arms hingedly secured to the lower portion of said structureand'extending diagonally upward therefrom adjacent xtheiunders'idefof 7 said platform, means supporting said. arms in" such position, means establishing I abfutments for: the upperends of said arms, means'effecting'disefigagement of the-ends of said arms fromsaid abutments, and means for guiding said arm-ends.

ported platform, a relatively short extension of said platform, hingedly secured thereto, a; braced structure extending downwardly'from said extension, brace arms hingedly secured to the lower portion of said structure and extendingdiagonally upward therefrom adjacentflthe undersideof said platform, means supporting's'aid arms in such position, means establishing'abutments for the upper ends of said arms, and manually'actuatablecams for effecting disengagement or said arm-ends fromsaid'abutm'ents. 7

- 3. A truck or the like, including a wheel-supported platform, a relatively short extension "of said platform, hingedly securedthere'to, a braced structure extending downwardly from said extension, brace arms hingedly secured tov the lower portion of said structure and extending diagonally upward therefrom "adjacent the; undersided f said platform, means supporting said such position, means establishing abutmentsffor the upper ends of said arms,-manuallyactuatable cams for effecting disengagement of said armends from said abutments,-and meansfor guiding said arm-ends when so disengaged.

4. Atruck or the like, includinga eeigs ia ported platform, a relatively shortextensionof said platform, hingedly secured thereto, a braced structure extending downwardly from said extension, brace arms hingedly securedl to the lower @9' a portion of said structure and :exten'ding-diagonally upward therefrom adjacent the underside or said platform, means supporting said arms such position, means establishing abutments for the upper ends of said arms, and manually ctuatable d3 a wheeli upported platform, a relatively snort extension of said platform hingedly secured thereto, a braced structure extending downwardlypfroni said extension, brace arms extending diagonally upward from the lower portion of said structure adjacent the underside of said platform, means supporting said arms in such position, means establishing abutments for the respective upper and lower ends of said arms, manually aetuatable cams for efiecting disengagement of one set of said armends from their respective said abutments, and means for guiding said arm-ends when so disengaged.

6. A truck or the like, including a wheel-supported platform, a relatively short extension of said platform, hingedly secured thereto, a braced structtre extending downwardly from said extension, brace arms extending diagonally upward from the lower portion of said structure adjacent the underside of said platform, means supporting said arms in such position, means establishing abutments for the respective upper and lower ends of said arms, manually actuatable cams for effecting disengagement of one set of said armends from their respectivesaid abutments.

WILLIAM J. LAFFEY. JOHN FRANK GUY. 

